Saturday, 3 December 2016

Steeleye Span - Dodgy Bastards, album review

Rocking the Child Ballads and More

I saw Steeleye Span once in their starter years, at The
Gaumont Theatre in Ipswich, early 70s, where I saw many brilliant emerging
bands, and it was as I recall an excellent gig, their folkrock very much an
exemplary encapsulation of the time when Pentangle had set the bar so high yet
SS established their own excellence.

I haven’t followed their career, especially of late when
they have, apparently, been most active and productive, but this November release
is absolutely stonking: folk progrock played with such energy and creativity.
Maddie Prior is still providing the most distinctive, powerful vocal, and the
addition of Jessica May Stuart adds another fine vocal but more importantly her
violin which delivers throughout some of the sweetest layers of sound as well
as stunning solos as in The Gardener,
to name just one. The title track is a brilliant instrumental ensemble performance, seeped
in obvious folk tropes, but more crucially Rock – the drumming just a thumping roll
of heaviness.

There is glorious, pretty folk like second All Things Are Quite Silent, its lyrics
of sorrow and woe the template for
this plaintive folk core, both melodically and poetically, Stuart’s violin sweeping
through with empathetic ache; third Johnnie
Armstrong with its milk-white steed
and other references [the storytelling stereotypes so welcoming, most songs
taken from the work of 19th century American scholar Francis James Child and
his collection of English and Scottish Ballads] presenting the band in rousing
voice and lovely harmonising; seventh Cromwell’s
Skull combining pretty harmonies, pretty violin and a gorgeous guitar solo, and a ten minute closer that presents in tandem The Lofty Tall Ships and Shallow Brown, showcasing the two obvious styles of firstly rock and then folk, the latter with Prior in exquisite voice as well as soothing atmospheric instrumentals of bass, guitar and violin.

About Me

This blog is essentially for music reviews, including live gigs. Frequently heavy on 60s/70s nostalgia, the time of my musical growing-up, there is also an eclectic and contemporary range. In addition I fuel a commitment to posting themed album covers for the simple challenge and fun of it - as I've started, I'll keep going. Enjoy.